368 eco giants stadium clitheroe (v fleetwood u21s)

Ground number 368 

(369 if you include Motspur Park, Fulham from ootside!?)

Date of First Visit: 2nd February 2024

Eco Giants Stadium, Clitheroe, Lancashire

Fleetwood Town U21s 1

Newcastle United U21s 1 (Diallo pen)

Premier League Cup

Official Attendance: 120 (Glennn from Ashington coonted them!) 

(4 NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers--plus quite a few 'locals' supportin us, who made up half the 'crowd'!)

"IF 60 IZ THE NEW 40, THEN 39 IZ THE NEW UNDER 21!"

*This game had been rearranged from Wedinzday, which woz due to be played at Fleetwood's Highbury groond, but woz postponed due to a waaterlogged pitch!----This woz in fact the 3rd time of askin' az the origional tie woz due to be played in Chorley, but that one woz postponed az well!

In desperation---and to get the game played it woz moved 40 miles from Fleetwood to The Eco Giants Stadium in Clitheroe!

They got special permission to play here even though the floodlights wernt up to the standard required for this competition!

3 of us travelled doon from Tyneside, namely 'Biffa the Beer', 'Glennn from Ashington' and 'me 'Fink the mad-sad groundhopper', in Biffa'z 'jam jar'!

On the way ower the A59 it started to p*ss doon and fears of yet another postponement crossed wor minds!

But we shouldnt have worried az the rain eased off az we apporoached Clitheroe's groond----a groond that non of us had ever been tee before!---Hence wor presence!

The Clitheroe clubhoose woz open and we were welcomed with open arms! (whey the curious locals did say "Hello, who are you?")

Mad-sad groundhopper 'Alex of St. George' (Middleton St. George) then torned up to make a total of 4 who had made the trek across the Pennines

After a few 'gargels' there, it woz time for the kick off, but Glennn woz not 'a happy bunny' az he had bought a Clitheroe FC metal badge az a souviner of hiz visit, BUT woz charged EIGHT QUID for it! 

“I anly want one NOT two!” he said, but the guy said that that WOZ the price for one! (Normal price anywhere else would be between £3-£4!)

“ROLL UP! ROLL UP! —- GET YOUR £8 BADGES HERE!”

Anyway!---The match kicked off and the pitch had a massive slope from top to bottom AND from one goal to the other and we kicked 'doon hill' in the forst half towards 'The Lidl Supermarket End'!----(Which woz behind that goal!) 

SPOT THE SUPERMARKET!

The rain then started comin doon in 'waves' but thankfully the groond woz covered on aall 4 sides to kep the 100 or so fans who had torned up dry! (With quite a few 'local' Toon fans az well!)

To say the game woz poor would be an understatement and (for example) we got a free kick near the halfway line and instead of kickin it forward, we kicked it back ower towards wor own goal???

However!--NUFCs youngins took the lead in the 40th minute, when  Parkinson woz pulled doon in the box!---A clear penalty, which Diallo took to put us 1-0 up!-----(see video below) And thats the way it stayed til the break az the rain eased off!

We were very poor in the 2nd half az we struggled up the hill towards (wait for it) 'The Strange Lookin Trees End! (See photo below!)

SPOT THE STRANGE LOOKIN’ TREES!  

(AND THE MASSIVE SLOPE!)

"POND LIFE!" (At 39!)

The equaliser from Fleetwoood came in the 67th minute when an horrendous misstayk by wor goalie let the 'home side'? in to knock the baall into the net from one yard oot!----The scorer for this Fleetwoood Under 21s side woz (wait for it!) THORTY NINE years old! (39) and woz caalled Nathan Pond!

I thought he looked a canny bit ower 20 when the game kicked off, but thought mee eyesight woz 'playin up' ---How wrang I woz! (Thankfully!) 

(Apparently 3 over age players are allowed to play for the U21s—-makes nee sense to me—like!🤔

There woz nee more scorin az the clock ticked doon and the game ended aall square!

Yet another groond to tick off, on the never endin' list!

DEFINITLY NOT CLITHEROE V CHASETOWN!

CLITHEROE CLUBHOOSE THE ONE BOOZER VISITED!

               “We woz there!”

            (Mee match ticket!)

              “Look through any window-yeah!” 

     (View of the pitch from the Clitheroe clubhouse!)

THE TOON 4 THE MAD HATTERS 4 *** PREMYAA LEEGUE 2023-2024

 Posted 'high noon bells' Sunday 4th February 2024

"UNREAL!"

This woz a game for the neutrals for certain, but if yoo are a Toon fan this 4-4 draw against unglamourous Lutin woz a reality check!

The 8 goal sequences were az follows! (deep breath!)

7th minute: Longstaff races doon the pitch to fire home at The Leazes End. 

1-0 to NUFC

21st minute: Osho heeds home unmarked at The Gallowgate End. 

1-1

23rd minute: An Anthony Gordon shot rebounds off the Lutin keeper and Longstaff iz at hand to fire home for hiz 2nd goal of the game. 

2-1 to NUFC

40th minute: Barnes er sorry Barclay fires home unmarked.

2-2 HT

Gordon had picked up an ankle injury and woz replaced by Wilson for the 2nd half

59th minute: Dan Burn fouls Ogbene in the box and after a lang VAR check the ref points to the spot. Morris takes it to send Dubravka in The Toon goal the wrang way, but the ref makes him retake it for encroachment by Lutin player in the box. He hits a similar shot to the right of Dubravka to gives wor visitors the lead!

2-3 to Lutin

62nd minute: Aderbayo races doon the wing and cuts in to send a shot beyond Dubravka to increase their lead! "UNREAL!"

2-4 to Lutin

67th minute: Kieran Trippier reduces the deficit 5 mins later with a shot from close range.

73rd minute: Lang time absentee Harvey Barnes who had replaced Almiron in the 63rd minute, took just 10 mins to make hiz mark and hits a sweet left footer from just ootside the box into the far corner to level things again and send the fans wild! "UNREAL!"

4-4 !

More chances occured in the 10mins of stoppage time added and Barnes had 2 efforts thay just wouldnt gan in and Murphy agonisingly stretched oot a foot, but just couldnt make the conection to win the game!

4-4 FT   "UNREAL!" 

Attendance: 52,200 (3,100 Mad Hatters!)

THAT FLAG COVERS MORE SEATS THAN LUTIN'S ENTIRE GROOND CAPACITY!

(LEAZES END LOWER BOWL CAPACITY 11,500.  KENILWORTH ROAD ENTIRE GROOND CAPACITY 11,000)

THE TOON v LUTIN TOON *** PREMYAA LEEGUE

 Posted 'high noon bells' Saturday 3rd February 2024

THE GALLOWGATE END FROM STRAWBERRY PLACE AT DUSK

We gan into this game after a great 3-1 away win at high flyin Villa on Tuezday neet and can anly hope that we can dee the same against the most unlikely Premyaa Leegue team ever!

It wont be eazy of course az they beat us 1-0 at their dump of a groond orlier on this season and they beat Brightin 4-0 in their last game!

We expect more or less the same team that beat Villa---minus Isak, who picked up a thigh injury durin the game and we 'Fink' that Anthony Gordon will lead the line this afternooon!

A full Geordie Times match report on the Lutin game and one from wor U21s game v Fleetwoood at Clitheroe last neet, will appear here sometime tomorrow! (The Fleetwoood game might be on Munday, if a'm pressed for time!)

Az per usual: "Watch this space!"

FLEETWOOOD TOON v THE TOON U21s ***PL CUP *** TOMORROW NEET!

 Posted '12:33pm bells' Thorzday 1st February 2024

"THORD TIME LUCKY!???" 🙏🠉

Followin' the postponement of wor U21s Premyaa Leegue Cup game at Fleetwood Toon yesterday---the game haz been rearranged to be played at CLITHEROE FC on Friday neet!

It woz with great sadness that the game at Fleetwoood's Highbury groond woz caalled off for a waaterlogged pitch, az it would have ticked off another Leegue groond for 'The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers'! (84th oot of the current 92 watchin NUFC) (So we are still stuck on 83!)

However!---the game haz been moved to Shawbridge 'Eco Giants Stadium'???--- the home of Clitheroe FC, which is a Northern Premyaa Leegue groond, which we have never been tee!----And so (az yi dee!) we will be travellin there for the '7:00 bells' kick off  sometime tomorrow afternooon!

Admission iz a fiver for big kids and 3 quid for sprogs and zimmerframeites!

This iz the THORD (3rd) change in venue for this cup tie, followin the postponement of the forst game at Chorley (where we have been before), Fleetwoood---and now Clitheroe!----But at least it iz a new non leegue groond and not back at Chorley!

Be thankful for smaall mercies!🙏

THE HAZBEENZ & VILLIANS 1-3 THE TOON *** PREMYAA LEEGUE 2023-2024

 Posted 'from 10am bells' on the train back from Bormingham Wedinzday 31st January 2024 

NO IT WASNT FOGGY—IT WOZ A PYROTECNIC DISPLAY PRE MATCH, WHERE YOU COULD HARDLY BREATH WHEN THE SMOKE HIT YOO!

*”THE FAB 5!”

2 goals from wor number 5 ‘Fab’(ian) Schar and an own secured this 3-1 victory!

TOON FANS CELEBRATE FAB’S 1st!

Both goals were ‘stab ins’from Schar in front of The Holte End in the first half! The first from a Tripper corner and the second after Anthony Gordon hit the bar and it fell nicely to ‘Fab’s feet!

The 3rd came in the 2nd period after pressure from Murphy led to the og by Moreno to put us 3-0 up!

The Hazbeenz & Villians pulled one back and then Longstaff fluffed his chance when he was put clean through—-anly to shoot and hit the keepers legs when he shud have scored—-and so it woz a norvus 10 mins stoppage time to conform wor 3rd away win in the bounce and inflict Villa’s first home defeat of the season!

The Toon fans were up for it, while the home fans were very quiet!

The reeely bad news woz that Isak woz forced off meanin that alang with Wilson and Joelinton’s injuries we had nee oot and oot strikers on the pitch!

So it woz left to good old number 5 to save the day!

Attendance: Divvint naa yet? but there were 3,000 happy Toon fans!

THE END GAME!

Much more to follow tomorrow when we get back from Fleeetwood where we are gannin to see wor U21s tooneet!  A new groond for The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers’!

SHIT!💩 Just foond oot that the Fleetwood game iz OFF! 😭

Waaterlogged pitch!

BORMINGHAM PUB CRAWL PIX (4 boozers visited)

For the benefit of you youngins reading this: The Beatles were known az The Fab 4

Fabian Schar Fab 5. get it?

THE HAZBEENZ & VILLIANS v THE TOON *** TOMORROW NEET AT THE UNGODLY TIME OF '8:15 BELLS'!

 Posted '12:51pm bells' Munday 29th January 2024

"LET THE TRAIN TAKE THE STRAIN!" ("THAT'S IF IT TORNZ UP?---LIKE!?")

VIEW OF THE 'NEW' CASTLE FROM 'THE CENTRAL' LAST SATURDAY 

(ON WOR WAY TO KING'S CROSS FOR THE FULIM GAME!)

"HORRAY!---THAT'S WOR TRAIN!"

IZ THERE A BETTER VIEW FROM ANY TRAIN STATION?

Yet again we are off on wor away travels, but wor plans have aalready been scuppered az wor train tomorrow mornin to Bormingham at '10:25 bells' haz aalready been cancelled!

So!--- the 'plan' iz? to catch the train an hour orlier IF its runnin???

We expect the team line up to be more or less like the team who beat Fulim 2-0 in the FA Cup on Saturday!

And then the day after the 'plan' iz to catch the train back and get off at Durham for a lift off 'Biffa the Beer' to Fleetwoood, where wor U21s are playin their forst team in the EFL Trophy at '7:00 bells'! (A groond The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers have never been tee!)

A match report on both games will appear here! ---eventually! 

Az per usual!  "Watch this space!"

FA CUP AWAY DAYS ---AGAIN!

In other news we have been drawn away in the FA Cup for the 4th time ina row, where we will play eethaa Blackborn or Wrexim in a midweek game in February!

Honestly I personally hope its 'Blackborn' az its much nearer and we will get 7,500 tickets, opposed to aboot 1,500 at Wrexim! (I would get a Rexim ticket anyway, az I have more than enough 'loyalty ponts', but I would love us to have a fothaa 6,000 tickets, so more of wor fans can get to see it!) (Wrexim will have a followin' of 7,000 tooneet in The Darwin End of Ewood Park

The BBCs 'love affair' with the Welsh side iz obscene because of their Hollywood owners involvement and it will nee doubt be a very biased commentary for them, IF thats the case! (Just like the biased ITV commentary of the Fulim game, which we were told aboot from fans who watched that game on the telly!) (Co commentator Lee Dixon apparently said "I hope Fulham score!"---What a disgrace!)

Updated '10:40pm bells'

BLACKBORN won 4-1 so there will be nee BBC Hollywood 'love in' (Thank God!) Wrexim had 7,200 in The Darwin End so NUFC will probably get the whole end which holds 7,500 (hopefully?)

THE COTTAGE PIE BRIGADE 0-2 THE TOON *** FA CUP 4th ROOND

 Posted from 10:26 am 'bells' onwards Sunday 28th January 2024 on the train back from London!

*GREEN FOR GO!”

Anothaa owerneet stay in London and after we dumped wor bags in a hotel near King’s Cross it woz off to Putney on the opposite side of the Thames from Fulim for a mini pub crawl!

After a few liquid lubrications in the various boozers where the price for a pint of 🍺 IPA seemed to be £6.90 in every bar (must be a price fix!?)

Anyway! we left aboot an hour before the ridiculous ‘7:00 bells 🔔’ kick off! (live telly rules OK!)

3,800 Toon fans were in attendance in The Putney End and were in full voice az the game started with NUFC wearin wor green strip!

There were loads of empty seats in the home ends az Fulim fans were up in arms at the £40 and £50 tickets for a live televised game on a Saturday neet!

Aa’ll get straight to the point!

This game woz crap 💩 az we kicked towards The Hammersmith End opposite where we were!

There were few chances but NUFC  took the lead in the 39th minute when Sean Longstaff hit the baall from close in after baall had brushed Bruno’s arm!

Longstaff goal celebrations!🤪👍🏁

VAR intervened and a quick decision to allow the goal sent The Toon fans into double celebrations! (One for the goal and one after the VAR check!)

SPOT THE CORNER COTTAGE!?

THE RIVERSIDE STAND ON THE LEFT STILL ISN'T FINISHED, BUT AT £3,000 FOR A SEASON TICKET THERE, WILL THEY EVER FILL IT???

Dan Burn doubled wor lead on the hour mark az he latched onto the baall after a Botman heeder woz deflected into his path from a save by the Fulim keeper!

Loads of misplaced passes followed from both teams az this borin game drew to a close!

Attendance:Just 18,900 (3,800 Toon fans including Alan Shearer who woz serenaded by The Toon fans!!!)

We are in the hat for the 5th roond draw at ‘2:00 bells’ this afternooon (allegedly!) and are baall number 16!

A home draw please—-anybody but Maidstone! (I woz at the ‘H’ game in 1972!)

The Geordie Times will let yiz naa just who and where we get, when we find oot!

ITS BLACKBORN OR REXIM AWAY!

PUTNEY & HAMMERSMITH PUB CRAWL!

(4 boozers visited)

PUTNEY PIES HAZ A PUB DOONSTAIRS CAALLED

 🠟'THE VAULT'!🠟

A PUTNEY PIE AT NEARLY £20 QUID!!! 

(Yi'd need to be 'pie eyed' to buy one!)

HAMMERSMITH, LONDON

THE COTTAGE PIE BRIGADE v THE TOON *** TOMORROW NEET!

 Posted '1:00pm bells' Friday 26th January 2024

We are off on wor travels to London (yet again!) tomorrow mornin for wor FA Cup 4th roond tie at Craven Cottage v Fulim at the ridiculous '7:00pm bells' kick off for live telly! (Last train back from King's Cross iz at '9:00pm bells'---So anothaa owerneet stay iz forced upon us!)

Aall 3,800 allocated tickets have been snapped up, while Fulim are strugglin to sell home tickets, with quite a few thoosand left!

They gave Leeedz 6,000 ticket for a previous cup tie, but for some unknown reason they slashed wors by 2,200?

It will sorve them reet if there are empty seats and yoo can bet your bottom dollar that there will be Toon fans scattered aroond the groond in the home sections!

On the injury front, it doesn't get any better with Joelinton oot til the end of the season and the likes of Harvey Barnes, Callum Wilson and Joe Willock still crocked, will it be anothaa game with 2 goalies az subs, such iz wor plight!

Yet again this will be wor last chance of silverware---lets hope it isn't anothaa January disaster!

And then its off to Bormingham next Tuezday when we play The Hazbeenz and Villians in a Premyaa Leegue encoontaa, followed by a trip to Fleetwood the next day, on the way back, where wor U21s are in action!----This will be a new Futbaall Leegue groond for The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers!

On the transfor front, wild speculations are deein the roonds of course!---who will come?---who will gan?

Anyway!--we will soon find oot az the January window closes on February 1st

A full Geordie Times match report on the Fulim game will appear here, sometime on Sunday!----Az per usual, "Watch this space!"

PS: The Geordie Times had it's 990,000th pageview yesterday and so we are now less than 10,000 'hits' from the 'holy grail' of ONE MILLION!  (April Fools Day perhaps?) 

And hello!  Northern Mariana Islands--wherever yoo are  (5 page views in last 24 hours) 164th country or territory to visit The Geordie Times! (Plus the planet Mars of course!)🠟

"Take me to your leader!"---"Whey aye maan!"

NUFC *** THE ANLY CLUB IN PREMYAA LEEGUE HISTORY NOT TO HAVE HAD A CROWD UNDER 30,000!

 Posted 'high noon bells' Wedinzday 24th January 2024

Amazingleee! 'The Toon' are the ANLY club in Premyaa Leegue history to NEVER have had a crowd of under 30,000!---Wor lowest crowd (apart from Covid when fans weren’t allowed in or restricted to 10,000 or less) iz when we played Sooothampton in the 1993-1994 season when 32,067 were in attendance---when SJPs capacity woz anly 36,000!

It total 51 clubs have graced the Premyaa Leegue since its formation in 1992!

If yoo were a gamblin man yoo would say that Man U, Livaapool and The Arse would be in that company, but its not true, az the below lowest crowd table iz reveeeled!

Man U have had one crowd under 30,000 when they played Palliss in the 1992-1993 season when 29,736 torned up!----And wot aboot the other 5 of the 'Cartel Six'?

Well! Livaapool had a crowd of 24,561 v QPR in the 1992-1993 season and The Arse actually had a sub 20,000 crowd when anly 18,253 torned up at Highbury (capacity 38,000) in 1993!

Sporz had even less when 17,452 torned up at White Hart Lane (capacity 36,000) v Villa in the 1993-1994 season!

And Man City have aalso had a sub 20,000 crowd when 19,150 torned up at their old Maine Road groond (capacity 60,000) in 1994-95 season v West 'am!

And wot aboot Chelseee?--Whey--amazingly they anly had a crowd of 8,923 v Coventry in 1994!---Check it oot!---we aint tellin 'porkies'!---which puts them in 2nd bottom place in FIFTIETH position, behind the likes of Lutin, Bournemoooth and Oldim!

Az for wor north east rivals, whey the mackems lowest crowd woz 18,561 in 1997 (14th place in the table) and The Smoggies had a crowd of 12,290 in 1993! (40th position)

The lowest ever Premyaa Leegue crowd belongs to Wimbildon, who could anly 'attract' 3,039 v Evaatin in the 1992-1993 season! (Evatin bringin at least half of that number!) 

LOWEST PREMYAA LEEGUE CROWDS

1: NUFC 32,067

2: Man U 29,736 

3: Brightin 29,323

4: Cardiff 26,167

5: Leedz 25,774

6: Livaapool 24,561

7: Stoke 22,690

8: Wulvz 22,657

9: WBA 21,467

10: Redin 21,379

11: Brum 19,922

12: Man City 19,150

13: Swanzee 18,985

14: SMBs 18,561

15: The Arse 18,253

16: Forist 17,525

17: Sporz 17,452

18: Hull 17,403

19: Barnzlee 17,172

20: Huddazfeeld 17,082

21: Darbee 17,022

22: Bornlee 16,904

23: Brentfaad 16,479

24: Charltin 16,448

25: Sheff Wed 16,229

26: Boltin 16,216

27: Portsmooth 16,207

28: Villa 16,180

29: Blackborn 16,035

30: Bradfaad 15,523

31: Lestaa 15,248

32: WHU 14,554

33: Blackpoool 14,550

34: Wigin 14,007

35: Fulim 13,981

36: Wotfaad 13,766

37: Evaatin 13,667

38: Sheff U 13,646

39: Norich 12,452

40: Smoggies 12,290

41: Swindin 11,940

42: Ipswich 11,282

43: Palliss 10,984

44: Lootin 10,802

45: QPR 10,189

46: Bournemooth 9,980

47: Oldim 9,633

48: Coventry 9,526

49: Soothampton 9,028

50: Chelsee 8,923

51: Wimbildin 3,039

*Aa read that we were the anly club not to have a sub 30,000 Prem crowd a while back, somewhere? So thats why aa did some investigation to see if it woz true!